From defining clear objectives, seeking out customer insight, creating pen-portraits of customers, through to developing propositions and differentiation, along with tips for interview techniques, the guide aims to equip you with the tools to write a brief that will inspire your creative team to produce work that delivers results.

In a Knowledge Hub posting last December, we anticipated the rapid development for the Internet of Things (IOT), especially by the airline industry. The opportunities to enhance the on-boarding service, using mobile apps and beacons across the customer journey seemed obvious to us.

A recent survey by SITA, an air transport communications and IT supplier confirms that innovations are quickly being adopted.

The survey found that 16 percent of the 200 major airlines surveyed said they plan major IOT programs to launch by 2018, and a further 41 percent plan to invest in research and development.

The survey found nearly 60 percent of airlines currently offer passenger flight notifications through smartphone apps. This figure is expected to rise to more than 96 percent by 2018. This service is the main way that airlines are currently using beacons in airports. The report finds 57 per cent of airlines surveyed intend to expand this application to include directions and way-finding utilities - a scenario that we anticipated in our previous article.

The survey also found that 94 percent of airlines are investing in business intelligence analytics, with nearly 74 percent planning major investment by 2018.

The latest publication from Forrester Research is titled "Death Of A (B2B) Salesman" That's a pretty ominous start. Couple that with their headline finding:

"One Million US B2B Salespeople Will Lose Their Jobs To Self-Service eCommerce By 2020" (Forrester Research)

We can be under no illusion that the statistics and predictions from the marketing automation industry are beginning to manifest themselves in cold, hard commercial reality. The report concludes that 75% of B2B buyers surveyed preferred to research and learn about the products they are buying online.

Forrester projects a near-term reality where:

"Websites, not salespeople, are at the heart of how B2B companies buy and sell."

To survive, B2B salespeople are beginning to rethink their role. They need to work alongside digital analysts and strategists to architect the next generation of B2B customer journeys. These journeys will be real-time. They will be fluid and adapt to the needs, preferences and concerns of each buyer. Successful organisations will continually analyse and optimise their buying process, delivering relevant content at the right time, across the right channels to suit the concerns of the buyer throughout what are often long and complex sales funnels.

B2B salespeople are also beginning to reconsider where they fit in this digital process and how they can add value. Previously, they would have spent a lot of time at the beginning of the sales funnel, sourcing leads and converting them into prospects. These are the parts of the funnel that are being automated in the digital process.

The role of sales may need to be re-focussed on a few key 'moments of truth' along the sales cycle. This may be a meeting with hot prospects, involvement in service reviews and nurturing long-term relationships with key clients. With the nuts and bolts of the rational buying journey taken care of online, these face-to-face opportunities enable the salesperson to focus on the 'something extra' that buyers want.

This shift in the buying process has been driven by customer behaviour. Technology has contributed. Successful responses will come from organisations where sales and marketing are completely integrated to orchestrate the digital and face-to-face customer journey. Failure to do so will leave a team of salespeople all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Here it comes...the new, new thing. I guarantee you will be hearing a lot about the Internet of Things next year. So here's a primer on what it is, and why it will fundamentally shift the influence of marketing in our lives.

The Evolving Web: Version 1 - 3

In broad strokes, the first three waves of the web's evolution were:

Web 1.0: connecting people to digital informationWeb 2.0: connecting people to people sociallyWeb 3.0: connecting applications and people through mobile devices

So far, that evolution has connected us through dedicated computer screens - we click with mice, or we swipe with fingers.

Version 4: The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things, as its name suggests, connects anything to anything and anyone. Your car, your clothes, your watch, your fridge, the book you're reading. The plane you're flying in, the train you're waiting for, the pets and plants you care for, the toys your kids are playing with.

The Difference

In web 1 - 3 digital marketing has been dedicated to connecting with people through channels and applications, accessed through a computer screen. We've used this infrastructure to transmit our messages and get customers to a point where they buy things from us.

The Internet of Things wraps technology around all of us. No longer is our digital activity conducted through channels. It's everywhere. Now, one interaction can set off a sequence of events between multiple applications embedded in lots of different physical things.

This sequence of events is no longer restricted to the transmission of digital information. It can direct and control what the physical things and other people do around us.

Already, forward thinking marketers are considering how this potentially impacts marketing's relationship with the lives of their customers. The opportunity is to expand the role of marketing from the influencer of purchase decisions to the provider of a brand service.

An Example

Jane, a 1st class frequent flyer is sent a book by her airline called "The Concierge Service". The book knows when she arrives at the airport for her next flight, as it has GPS embedded in its cover. Through an e-ink page, the book advises her that her flight is running on time and gives her google maps-style instructions on where to check in and how to get to the departure lounge. Offers on VAT-free shopping from participating retailers are available, and the book is pre-registered to help her fast-track her VAT refund claim.

As part of her welcome pack, Jane also received two "SOS" keyrings for her young daughters. Anna, her youngest, gets lost in the airport and pushes the panic button on the keyring. Jane receives an automated phone call alerting her that her daughter is trying to find her. Jane is directed to use the Concierge book which will pick up the location of the SOS keyring, and give directions to Jane for where to find her daughter. They are re-united and board safely. An automated text message is sent to her husband to let him know that they are all on board and are safely on their way.

The airline also provides the concierge service through a downloadable app for economy class customers.

Further Reading

ARTICLES

A good Harvard Business Review overview of the IOT, and how it's challenging businesses to re-evaluate their models and consider what business they think they're in.

PRODUCTS"Life360 is a Smartphone app that lets users set up private “Circles” of family members of close friends. People within the Circle can be messaged all at one time, and can “check in” when they arrive at their location."

Keeping your company website updated is critical - mainly because it can work for you while you focus on sales and revenue. However, most websites can actually damage gaining potential leads and prospects, leaving them to wander onto competitor sites.

I came across this handy ebook on HubSpot the other day which collated the best changes you could make to your website. Here are a few of them summarised:

1. Your site isn't responsiveMobile friendly websites are no longer a 'nice to have'. Search engines are now ranking websites which provide the best possible experience for users. The truth is, if you're not responsive, you're falling behind.

2. You haven't included CTAs on every pageCalls to action give purpose to your website, a place for users to go so they don't bounce from your page. You could be losing out on converting leads if your users read content and move on.

4. You haven't been using Google AnalyticsWish you knew which pages work on your website and which make your users leave? Wish the answer was free and available at your fingertips 24/7? Make sure you have Google Analytics linked to your website and spy away at all user behaviour.

5. You're embarrassed by your websiteIf you don't like your website, why would your audience? Make it something your proud to show off, or more importantly, make it something your sales team is proud to use. It should be a true reflective of the company and your most valuable and effective sales tool.

Ad:tech London has long been an important event in a digital marketer's agenda. Here The Wall summarises some of the hot topics for this year:

·Measurement – a long discussed but vital part of the marketing industry. With more devices connected and greater investment in online media that ever before it’s becoming increasingly pertinent for marketers to keep abreast of the best way to track, learn and improve upon their marketing investments.

·Programmatic – the programmatic landscape has evolved recently and many brands are using it to add value to their digital efforts. What’s more, it can drive prospects and build brand awareness – the next year will see greater investment in programmatic as suppliers prove their worth with genuine results.

Cap Gemini have published a new global report titled 'Transforming Wealth Management in a Digital Age'

Here's their infographic to support its release. In summary, their conclusion is:

"Regardless of age, wealth level, geography and need for advice, HNWIs are demanding digital capability from the wealth management industry and two-thirds would consider leaving their wealth management firm if an integrated experience is not provided."

Marketing Week recently created an interesting infographic - integrating two research projects - looking at where B2B marketing budget is currently spent, and where marketers are looking to invest in 2015.

It’s a really interesting overview of how B2B is evolving; especially reading between the lines at how content and positioning are becoming increasingly important in an evermore competitive corporate landscape.

Being seen as a thought leader is increasingly important for B2B companies.

Key findings include:

·39% of B2B marketing is spent in digital – below the average investment in 2013 of 44% (eMarketer)

·Website development, email marketing and social media are set to command the greatest marketing investment in 2015

·Social media holds huge importance; LinkedIN is the biggest social network for B2B marketers with 94% using the platform for work purposes, furthermore 38% said any additional marketing budget would be spent in social.

If you have two supermarkets side by side, how do you decide which one to go to? Is it the one closest? Or the cheapest? Sometimes you can be swayed by which one shows they value you the most. Asda may have cheaper prices, but Sainsbury's have the Nectar card scheme, allowing customers to collect points and gain money-off vouchers too.

Customers feel good as though they're saving money, even though it might be more expensive, HubSpot argue that coupons can be powerful for customer retention, which is just one of their uses. They can also gain feedback, target audiences, promote new products and attract new customers. And digital coupons are on the rise with their use having increased 13% since 2011.

A useful guide to developing personas for B2B audiences from Alex Flagg, Head of HP’s Enterprise Market Insight team’s research coverage for the Persona, Cloud Computing, and Converged Infrastructure businesses.

Whilst Alex gives useful guidance on how to develop the personas, it's also very helpful in showing how to use them to understand where they are most influential in the purchasing decision cycle, and using this insight to create and target content accordingly.

This is a well written long-copy guide from WhichTestWon.com covering the terminology of everything to do with testing. If you're baffled by your strategists' waffle, then this is a good place to start...

This report is the result of an analysis of over 1.5 billion email messages sent through the Sign-Up.to online marketing platform in the 12 months from 1st January - 31st December 2013. These email campaigns are all from small-medium sized UK organisations across 25 sectors and public sector organisation. All of these messages were permission-based and sent to opted-in lists.